


Letters

by BisexualDisastaur (AlpacaSoon)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst and Feels, F/M, Feels, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I need a beta reader ;-;, Not Beta Read, Oh would you look at all those heavy tags, Sad, Totally not inspired by Violet Evergarden Episode 10, Tragedy, help me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2019-10-21 06:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17637470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlpacaSoon/pseuds/BisexualDisastaur
Summary: Link was gone, and Zelda was left alone in the world.A fic based on the concept on if Link died after the final fight with Ganon, but Zelda was kept alive.





	1. Shatter

“May I ask… Do you truly remember me?”

Zelda waited, hands trembling, for Link’s answer. Link, who had died for her. Link, who crossed the world for her. Link, who struck down evil incarnate for her.

“I do.”

And suddenly, Link’s arms were around her in a tight, warm embrace, pressing her body against his as if he was afraid she would fade away if he let go. His hands tangled in her hair, and he pressed his face against her shoulder. She clung back, hands spreading against his back, shutting her eyes and taking in his warmth, his scent, his light.

“I missed you.” She choked out.

Link nodded against her shoulder, and she could feel him… Shaking under her hands.

Shaking. Trembling. It suddenly occurred to her that her knight felt very frail in her arms.

“Link?”

“I’m… Sorry.”

“What? Link? What’s going on?” Zelda pulled herself back, hands cupping her hero’s face. He closed his eyes, tears slipping beneath his eyelashes, leaning into her touch.

_I’m sorry._

Zelda gasped. Hylia’s voice was ragged, exhaustion dragging at her words.

_I’m so, so sorry. I can’t… I can’t keep this up any longer._

Under her fingers, golden cracks began to form in Link’s skin.

“Wh-What? Hylia… Link, no!” Zelda clung to him, as if her touch alone could keep him with her, as if her words and cries could stop him from leaving her. “No no no! No! You can’t go!”

 _I’m sorry,_ Hylia begged. _I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Zelda, Link… I’m sorry. I can’t… I can’t keep him alive anymore._

“Zelda…” Link murmured, opening his eyes one last time, blue eyes outlined with golden light shining from his skin. “I—”

He shattered.

“...Link?” Zelda staggered forward. Link’s clothes and belongings fell to the ground, and she stepped carelessly over them as she reached out to the golden fragments fluttering into the sky. “No… No… Don’t leave.”

 _I’m sorry, Zelda._ Hylia whispered, pain and sorrow painting the air even as her voice faded away.

“This is all… This is all just a dream. He’ll come back, right? Hylia… Please… Please don’t do this. Don’t leave me alone!”

The air was silent. Clenching her fists, Zelda screamed at the sky.

_“Give him back!”_

There was no answer.

_“You already took him once, you can’t take him again! Give him back! GIVE HIM BACK.”_

But no answer came, and she was left alone again.

 

* * *

 

Sobs fading into the rapidly-approaching dusk, Zelda clutched at her chest, shivering. Her cries had left her spent and exhausted, and an empty chasm in her heart quivered. Still shivering, she slowly got to her feet. If she let another tear slip, she would cry for another hour. For the fifth time.

Link’s items and equipments were still left in the distorted pile, and his horse stood quietly near them. Slowly, slowly, she picked up his cape and wrapped it around herself. The familiar scent and the warmth nearly sent her into a fresh tirade of sobs, but she took a deep breath and folded the rest of his clothes to put it away. The master sword, his bow and quiver, his shield… She slipped them into the pack. As she did, something slipped to the ground and lit up in blue.

The Sheikah Slate.

She carefully picked it up. On it were runes she didn’t recognize, a map that appeared as she slipped her fingers against it, and…

_Dear Princess,_

Entries upon entries upon entries, all starting with the same thing.

Lips trembling, Zelda let her fresh tears fall as she read Link’s words.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Princess,_

_I woke up today. The old man here on the Great Plateau told me that it’s your voice that I hear, guiding me._

_I don’t know, though. I can’t remember anything. There’s absolutely nothing._

_If you can’t remember being scared… Then is that the emotion I’m feeling now?_

_I just don’t know. I’m so confused._

_But I know one thing._

_I’ll trust you._

 

* * *

 

By dawn, she’d reached a stable, nearly falling out of the saddle in near-delirious exhaustion and hunger, wounds she thought long closed freshly opened and trailing blood, further staining her ceremonial dress.

Whatever. She was going to burn it anyway.

The stablemaster hurried to greet his newest visitor, expression slowly turning to horror at the sight of her, sunken cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, dirty dress and bleeding skin. He hurriedly called for others to help, and her vision faded.  


* * *

 

When Zelda awoke again, she’d been tucked into a bed. Bandages covered her wounds, but she was still in her dirty dress, and the scent of dirt and sweat and blood clung to her. She carefully sat up. Next to her, a young boy sprang up.

“You’re awake! Ember!”

“Hey there, lass.” The stablemaster came up to her kindly. “You doin’ alright?”

“...Yes. Thank you.” Zelda’s voice came out as a whisper. Ember nodded.

“Right, right. Anyways, where are you—”

“Excuse me, but is there anywhere I can have a bath?” Zelda interrupted.

“Huh? Er, yeah. Here, lemme get some water heated for ya…”

 

* * *

 

Scrubbed clean, old clothes burned, and new clothes adorned, Zelda sat down to a meal prepared by one of the stable’s staff. Link’s cloak hung on a nearby tree, drying after she’d washed it. As she scarfed down curry rice and sweet stew, she carefully deflected questions.

“Where did you come from?”

“Central Hyrule.”

“Why were you so injured?”

“Fighting.”

“Are you traveling with anyone?”

“...”

After she’d finished her food and paid for all the services with rupees she’d found in a pocket of Link’s pack, she stayed by the bright fire, lulled by the cheerfully crackling flames and the flashes of color.

She felt... Empty.

“Er… Hello, lassie.”

Looking up, Zelda came face-to-face with a young man. “Hello.”

“May I sit?”

“Of course.” Zelda scooted over on the log, and the man sat down next to her with a relieved sigh.

“Ah… That’s better. The name’s Gotter.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“So, a traveler?”

“Of a sort.”

Gotter nodded. “A friend of that Link boy?”

“How did you—!?”

“That’s his cloak, isn’t it? Can’t forget it. Promised to bring me back the recipe of royal fruit cake after he traveled to that castle. Said he had to do something first. Oh, miss, why’re you crying?"

Zelda dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.

Exactly how much of himself did her knight leave behind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Back at it again with a new BOTW fic. And, of course, it's going to be super angsty, because what is a good BOTW fic without angst, am I right?
> 
> I got this idea after reading a fic in which Zelda actually died while fighting Ganon, so her spirit lived long enough to help Link with the fight, but she actually never lived long enough to speak to Link again. It was really good, and really sad, and I thought, "Hey, what if it was the other way around?"
> 
> And thus, "Letters" was born.
> 
> The premise of this fic is that the Shrine of Resurrection never managed to resurrect Link again, but Hylia interfered to keep him alive and heal him so he could save Hyrule again. Alas, the Godddess' power isn't infinite, so she only had enough power to keep him alive until the end of the fight. Now, Zelda must travel Hyrule alone to find herself again.
> 
> Sounds great, right?
> 
> PROBLEM IS, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M EVEN DOING.
> 
> I don't have a beta reader, I don't even think I have time to be writing this fic, I'm not even a good writer, and, again, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. HELP. ME.
> 
> I'm thinking it'll be about 20 chapters, maybe less, of Zelda traveling around Hyrule like Link? And I'll have an epilogue?
> 
> I have the beginning and an end in mind, and I have to idea how to even connect the two.
> 
> Ah, well. We'll see how it goes.
> 
> Updates planned to be weekly on Mondays, but as with all writers, that'll probably almost never happen.


	2. The First Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda sets out across the land to find answers in Kakariko Village. She doesn't get there quite yet, though.

_Dear Princess,_

Zelda stood on a small grassy knoll. The sun slowly rose as she pressed her fingers against the slate’s screen, taking in the words of her knight.

_I obtained the paraglider today. The old man… He’s actually your father. King Rhoam… I still don’t have any memories, but he seems… Familiar._

_It’s odd, though. He seems so sad, but… He seems proud of you. Worried, but proud._

_I wonder what happened 100 years ago. He told me I will find answers if I go to Kakariko Village, to meet with a woman named Impa._

_I can only hope I will find answers._

Kakariko Village. Impa. Answers.

Straightening her back, Zelda stared out at the mountains of Dueling Peaks.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you want to leave so soon, miss?” Ember asked as he carefully saddled Link’s horse, which Zelda had found been named Epona. "I mean, you've just got here, and you were so wounded, too..."

She nodded. “Thank you for your help, but I should be going now.”

Ember nodded, handing the reins to her. “Alright. You’re a friend of that Link fellow, so I trust you enough. He has a few other horses at other stables, I think, and acquaintances all over the land, so if you ever find yourself lost…”

“Yes.” Swinging a leg over the steed, Zelda carefully adjusted herself. Epona snorted and shook her mane, but remained well-behaved, a trait Zelda knew she would be eternally grateful fo.

“...Miss, do you know when Link will be back?”

Zelda let her gaze wander towards the horizon. She didn’t know how she would react if she met the stablemaster’s earnest eyes.

“No.”

And with that, Zelda spurred Epona into a gallop towards Kakariko Village.

 

* * *

 

Zelda carefully studied the map on the Sheikak Slate’s screen, resizing it and squinting at the landmarks as Epona trotted along. “We should reach Dueling Peaks Stable by nightfall, if we keep up this pace,” she announced. “After we rest, if we keep up a rapid trot, Kakariko Village will be in our sights by late afternoon. That sounds like a good plan, no?”

Silence answered her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped, and she looked to her left.

Sunlight cut into her eyes, and in the blaze, she could see a trace of highlighted hair and blue…

She slowed Epona to a stop and carefully dismounted, crouching to cradle the Silent Princess in her palms.

_“All that we can hope… Is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own.”_

Unwillingly, tears dripped from her eyes upon the petals of the flower. It was amazing that, ever since the Calamity had struck, the delicate flower had not only survived, but prospered, pushing through the soil as its natural competitors had been wiped out. And yet…

“I’m alone.” Zelda whispered.

A snort, and suddenly Epona pushed her muzzle into Zelda’s face, biting playfully at her hair, before leaning down to peer closely at the flower, before opening her mouth…

“Ah, wait! Don’t eat that!”

Maybe she wasn’t so alone after all.

 

* * *

 

Zelda sighed, leaning against the walls of the Great Plateau as the noonday sun climbed higher into the sky. “I would really like to get up there,” she told Epona, who grazed nearby, “but how? The staircase that used to exist has been completely eroded away, and if even Link didn’t have enough stamina to climb these walls, then neither do I. Hm…” Taking out the Sheikah Slate again, she studied the map. “I remember watching him teleport but… Well, what will I do once I’m up there? I may have no way of getting back down.” Sighing, she pressed her fingers against the screen once again, bringing up another letter.

_Dear Princess,_

_I got off the Great Plateau today. The moment I set foot upon the land, I… I was swept up in a whirlwind of… Feelings? Emotions? I don’t know, but a series of images, too fast for me to catch, swept through my mind before they were lost in the void where ‘Link’ once existed. Your father said I may find my memories as I traverse the lands… And I feel as if I may. Something is hidden, deep in Hyrule… I can only hope it brings the answers I seek._

The entry ended there. Perhaps Link had written it the moment he landed? Shaking her head, Zelda gazed up at the sky before calling Epona over again. It was no use just wallowing in her thoughts; if she wanted answers, she would have to find them on her own.

 

* * *

 

“Hello, miss!” A cheery guard greeted Zelda as she crossed over Proxim Bridge.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted back, slowing Epona.

“Haven’t seen you around, yet. My name is Brigo. I’m a guard, assigned to take care of this bridge.”

“All by yourself!?”

“Don’t you worry about me. I’m more formidable than I look. And this spear isn’t just for show! Anyways, where’re you headed?”

“Kakariko Village.”

“Oh! Yes. Just keep heading along this path, until you meet a fork in the road. Take the left one, go past Dueling Peaks Stable, then keep heading straight on. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you plan on doing there?”

“I’m visiting an old friend.”

Brigo nodded. “Yeah. Don’t know what they’re doing right now, though. Ever since that weird, evil aura disappeared from the castle, the whole land’s been in a hustle to try and figure out what’s happening.”

“Hm… All the more reason I should probably reach Kakariko sooner rather than later.” Zelda muttered under her breath. “Thank you, Sir Brigo. Please know that Hyrule values you for your services, and I will see to it that you are justly rewarded, once I get the chance. Let’s go, Epona!”

Brigo scratched his head as Zelda rode away. “What a strange girl…” He muttered. “Spoke like the royalty in fairy tales.”

 

* * *

 

Zelda reached Dueling Peaks Stable as the moon rose high in the sky. The warm, orange light of the stable filtered across the ground and across it, the clean, blue light of a shrine reflected brightly in a pond. She still hadn’t had the chance to go inside one yet—what was waiting inside? Her fingers twitched against the Sheikah Slate—should she try it? For the first time in a century, a bead of curiosity swelled inside her, replacing the void of emptiness and melancholy that had infected her ever since she had stepped foot upon the land.

Epona, however, snorted and trotted even faster towards the stable. Right. She had to stay cognizant of her horse. She was tired, anyway…  


* * *

 

_She shook in the cold of the rain. Surrounding her, the menacing clanks of Guardians came ever closer, and she swore she heard hear the roars of Lynels approaching behind._

_Link kneeled down in front of her, hand gently encircling her wrist. “Princess,” he said softly, “we have to go.”_

_She still didn’t move, eyes gazing blankly ahead. Link gently shook her hand, urgency creeping into his voice._

_“Princess, please. We need to stay alive.”_

_His words stirred something deep inside her, and she lifted her emerald eyes to his sapphire ones. Like a clear, bright day. Like the ocean he promised to take her to. Like the—_

_Red splattered across her cheek, and Link slumped against her, body cold._

 

* * *

 

Zelda jolted up from the bed, her scream of horror caught in her throat. She held her breath, slowly, then let it out, hands shaking from their grasp in the sheets. Carefully, she swung her legs out of the bed, straightened her clothes, then walked outside.

She’d slept like the dead for the past few nights since she’d been rescued from Hyrule Castle. What made the nightmares come now? Perhaps it’d been—

“Oh.”

Ash Swamp lay before her, the broken bodies of Guardians the only reminder of the carnage that had existed on that day.

“Sad sight, isn’t it?”

Tasseran, the stablemaster, stood to her left, gazing across the fields with her. “I’m sure you’ve heard the story?”

“That a brave knight died here, fighting the evil that threatened to devour Hyrule…” Zelda murmured back.

“Hm… And there was a princess too. That Link boy told me the whole story.” Tasseran rubbed his chin. “You know him?”

“He’s… My friend. I’ve met him before.” Zelda replied quietly.

“Well, anyways, he said that there was a princess there on that day. Even though the knight died, she stayed and fought, eventually driving off the darkness and saving the land. After that, the princess went missing, and… Well, Link said he would return someday and finish the story. You come back, too, so you can hear about it. I’m sure it has a happy ending!”

“Yes…” Zelda echoed, clenching her hands into fists, eyes misty and voice hollow. “I’m sure it does.”

 

* * *

   
By midafternoon, Zelda passed through the gates of Kakariko Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need a beta-reader because I have no idea where I am even going with this story lol.


	3. Kakariko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda finally makes her way into Kakariko

“Kakariko…” Zelda whispered softly, leading Epona slowly into the village.

It was just as she had remembered it—a village surrounded by mountains, small and silent, an abode of peace and solitude. She carefully dismounted, absentmindedly petting Epona’s flank as she walked down the slope, studying the people around her. They were all native to the village, sporting the classic garb, glancing at her curiously. A duo of children—siblings, probably—ran past her, giggling. An old woman tended to her plum trees, and two men stood in a field of pumpkins, arguing. Finally, in the center of it all—an old house, standing tall and proud above all the rest.

Zelda felt her throat suddenly close and her breath shorten as ghosts of the past ran past her.

 

* * *

  

_“Zelda… Welcome to Kakariko Village.”_

_Her mother smiled at her, carefully taking her daughter’s hand as she began to walk along the path. The people of the village paused and bowed respectfully as the royals swept by, the queen raising a hand and Zelda clinging to her mother’s skirts._

_“Don’t be shy, dear,” the queen said, bending down quickly to pick her up. “The Sheikah Tribe is one of the most important races of people in our kingdom. You will become friends with everyone here, you’ll see.”_

_“Th-There’re so many,” Zelda murmured petulantly into her mother’s shoulder, hiding her face._

_The queen laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear. No one will hurt you here… Well, except the Cuccos.”_

_“Mama!”_

 

* * *

  

_No one will hurt you here._ Her mother’s words echoed in Zelda’s head as she made her way down the path, pausing to brush her fingers against a large tree. The village was the same, and yet it wasn’t. The tree had been nothing more than a sapling when she’d first arrived, and now it towered ever higher. The pond at the center was the same, though, and Zelda paused as she gazed at the statue of Hylia in the center, the stone hands calmly folded and its stone eyes closed. A sickening, bittersweet feeling built up in her stomach, and Zelda quickly spun around—

“Oof!”

She collapsed to the ground as her head knocked painfully against someone else’s. Epona neighed as her reigns were yanked as Zelda fell, and for a moment, Zelda held her forehead, letting out small squeaks of pain.

“O-Oh my goodness! Miss! Are you alright!?”

“Y-Yes, I’m al—Impa?”

The young girl stared down at her in confusion, large doe eyes blinking. “I-Impa? N-No, I’m Paya!”

Zelda struggled to stand. “Ah… My apologies. You look like an old friend of mine…”

“Oh, but Impa is my grandmother! She’s just up there! She’s been rather busy, though...” Paya searched Zelda’s face, but her eyes fell to her pack on her back, and they widened. “Wait… Isn’t that Link’s pack!? Oh, and his cape! Could you be a friend of Link’s!? Why do you have his possessions!?”

“I-I...?” Zelda stuttered, but let out a small yelp as Paya suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her up the steps.

“Come, we must talk to Grandmother! Link’s been missing a weeks now… Ever since the news that Ganon has disappeared from the castle… Hurry! Cado, take care of this young lady’s horse!” Paya called as she dragged Zelda up the steps.

“W-Wait! I-Impa is still… She’s still alive! And Link—” Zelda stuttered as she reached the landing with Paya, and the other girl paused.

“Yes… Actually… You’re… Rather young… How do you know Grandmother?”

Zelda hesitated. There were too many people at them now, and she felt far too out of place. "I... I will explain, but is Impa here?"

"Yes." Paya said. "Just in here."

"Please, I will explain later. I just need to speak to Impa."

“Paya carefully studied her, then gently opened the door. “Grandmother, I’m back, and we have a traveler who knows about Link.”

“Oh?”

The voice that answered creaked and broke with the age that weathered it, but it was still familiar, still paired with the feeling of a warm caress and safety in Zelda’s mind, still synonymous with warm eyes and gentle praises of a job well done, of a subject well researched.

Impa’s eyes widened as Zelda walked in. “Princess,” she breathed out.

“Hello, Impa.” Zelda raised her head. “I’m back.”

And then she rushed forward, letting her tears fall freely.

 

* * *

 

Zelda blinked her eyes open, disorientated. She could feel the warmth of a fire against her back, and hear its cheerful crackle. The house was dark, but comforting, with the dark wood varnish lit by the fire. Impa still sat on her seat, and Paya kneeled by her, the two conversing in whispers.

“Ah, Princess, are you awake?” Impa noticed her slowly sitting up.

Zelda nodded, rubbing at her eyes. “Y-Yes. Wh-What happened?”

Impa spread her hands. “You cried for an hour, then promptly collapsed from exhaustion. You're terribly exhausted, Zelda."

"M-My apologies."

"No, do not apologize. I am sure it has been a long and arduous journey for you." Impa paused, carefully looking over Zelda, then beckoning her closer. “Zelda, would you happen to have the Sheikah Slate?”

Zelda curled up on a cushion by Impa. At her question, she carefully took out the object, brushing her fingers over the screen.

Impa let out a breath, straightening her back. “If you may, Princess… What happened to Link?”

Zelda bit her lip. From the side, Paya listened closely.

“Link is… Link is gone.”

“Gone?” Impa’s eyebrows shot up. “Where?”

Zelda took a deep, shuddering breath. “Link… On that fateful day… We weren’t powerful enough. Not me, not the Sheikah healers… Not the Shrine of Resurrection. Only by Hylia’s grace did he survive enough to rid the land of Calamity Ganon. And yet…”

“No…” Paya dropped to her knees, eyes filling with Zelda’s unshed tears.

“It wasn’t enough… To bring him back.”

 

* * *

 

_Please, Hylia, bring him back._

And only silence answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't like how this chapter came out, but this serves as more of an information transfer than actually getting into any drama.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, don't be afraid to leave kudos/comments/constructive criticism! I really appreciate it!
> 
> Also, feel free to talk to me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disastaur


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